Sunday, March 6, 2016

Temple associated with the Gajendra Moksham episodeSpecial Initiatives taken 1000 years ago to maintain a beautiful Nandavanam to ensure the presentation of Flower Garlands for the Lord every dayEven Gardeners were provided for at the temple and their interests taken care of

Located 10kms North East of
Ambasamudram and about 25kms from Tirunelveli amidst green fields on the Eastern Banks of over flowing Tamaraibarani is the
ancient Gajendra Varadaraja Perumal temple in Athalanallur, one whose legend
dates back to the Gajendra Moksham episode. As per inscriptions inside the temple that date back a 1000years, this place was referred to as Athaani Nallur ( Athaani = Elephant), yet another indication for the elephant episode connection to this temple.

Lost in thoughts of Lord Vishnu a
disciple of Sage Agastya ignored his Guru’s presence prompting the Sage to
curse him to turn into an elephant. One day when the elephant went to the river
to bring water for Abhisheka, he found the lotus flower and plucked it only to
be caught in the grasp of the crocodile. Crying for help, he called out for
Aathi Moolam. The Lord came on his Garuda Vahana and provided Moksham to both
the animals by hurling his chakra at the Crocodile.

A rock inside the temple tank
referred to as the Elephant Rock, reference to the Gajendra Moksham episode
having taken place in the foot of the Pothigai hills and the presence of Sage
Agastya inside the moolavar sannidhi are believed to be indications of this temple’s
association with the legendary event.

Inscriptions

There are several inscriptions
inside the temple that date back a 1000 years. During the rule of Kulotunga I (1100AD)
a portion of fields of Athalanallur was separated and granted as a tax free
Devadana land. During that period, Athalanallur was referred to as a hamlet of
Cheran Maha Devi and the Gajendra Varadar temple was referred to as ‘Moymam Pooumbolil’
Azhvaar temple.

During the rule of Jatavarama
Srivallabha Pandya there was a gift of land for conduct of worship on Puratadhi
day at Athalanallur. The queen of the place has been mentioned as Uagamuludu
Mudaiyaal.

There were five sacred offerings to
the Lord each day as organised by the assembly of Cheran Maha Devi during the
rule of Maravarma Pandya. One of the inscriptions refers to the land originally
held by the temple for this purpose as lying waste due to petty quarrels. There
is also a record of gift of one achchu by Emberumanar Ammai for providing
offering to the God and providing from that prasadam to the servants and
worshippers of Emberumanar in the temple. The Vaishnavas in the temple received
the achchu and agreed to maintain the charity. There was a grant of prasadam to
a certain Ramanuja Jeer for a quarter Annai achchu which the vaishnavas had
received from him.

Flower Gardens at
Athalanallur Temple

Nandanavam seems to have been
given great importance during ancient times at this temple as seen from the
different flower gardens referred in the inscriptions, the appointment of
gardeners to maintain the garden and initiatives to take care of them.

There was a gift of tax free land
for flower garden called Tambikku Nallan Thiru Nandavanam during the rule of
Vira Pandyadeva Pandya. On the north
wall of the temple is an inscription dating to the rule of Jatavarma Pandya that refers to
gift of land to the temple by a big army with 10 commands for maintaining the
garden. There is also a record of a sale of garden lands.

Gardeners at the
Nandavanam

There was a gift of prasadam to
two gardeners for rearing the flower garden called Ramanuja Thiru Nandavanam
during the rule of Kulasekara Pandya. They were exempted from tax and they were
to grow flowers, pick them and string them together into garlands. There was a
gift of Kadamai on certain lands by the temple for providing maintenance of
gardeners of the Iladaraiyan flower gardens.

There was also a gift of one
kalam of food by the temple for feeding the men in charge of Ramanuja flower
garden.